Nat Rev Genet. 2006 Jan;7(1):21-33.

The epigenetic progenitor origin of human cancer.

Source

Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. afeinberg@jhu.edu

Abstract

Cancer is widely perceived as a heterogeneous group of disorders with markedly different biological properties, which are caused by a series of clonally selected genetic changes in key tumour-suppressor genes and oncogenes. However, recent data suggest that cancer has a fundamentally common basis that is grounded in a polyclonal epigenetic disruption of stem/progenitor cells, mediated by 'tumour-progenitor genes'. Furthermore, tumour cell heterogeneity is due in part to epigenetic variation in progenitor cells, and epigenetic plasticity together with genetic lesions drives tumour progression. This crucial early role for epigenetic alterations in cancer is in addition to epigenetic alterations that can substitute for genetic variation later in tumour progression. Therefore, non-neoplastic but epigenetically disrupted stem/progenitor cells might be a crucial target for cancer risk assessment and chemoprevention.

PMID:: 16369569; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Cancer - MedlinePlus Health Information

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Review Epigenetic gene regulation in stem cells and correlation to cancer. [Differentiation. 2009]
Review Epigenetic gene regulation in stem cells and correlation to cancer.
Mathews LA, Crea F, Farrar WL. Differentiation. 2009 Jul; 78(1):1-17. Epub 2009 May 14.
Review Epigenetic changes in cancer. [Annu Rev Pathol. 2009]
Review Epigenetic changes in cancer.
Iacobuzio-Donahue CA. Annu Rev Pathol. 2009; 4:229-49.
Review DNA methylation alterations in multiple myeloma as a model for epigenetic changes in cancer. [Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Bio...]
Review DNA methylation alterations in multiple myeloma as a model for epigenetic changes in cancer.
Sharma A, Heuck CJ, Fazzari MJ, Mehta J, Singhal S, Greally JM, Verma A. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. 2010 Nov-Dec; 2(6):654-69.
Review Epigenetic system: a pathway to malignancies and a therapeutic target. [Int J Hematol. 2004]
Review Epigenetic system: a pathway to malignancies and a therapeutic target.
Nakao M, Minami T, Ueda Y, Sakamoto Y, Ichimura T. Int J Hematol. 2004 Aug; 80(2):103-7.
Review Epigenetic gene silencing in cancer - a mechanism for early oncogenic pathway addiction? [Nat Rev Cancer. 2006]
Review Epigenetic gene silencing in cancer - a mechanism for early oncogenic pathway addiction?
Baylin SB, Ohm JE. Nat Rev Cancer. 2006 Feb; 6(2):107-16.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by over 100 PubMed Central articles

Low-dose Cd induces hepatic gene hypermethylation, along with the persistent reduction of cell death and increase of cell proliferation in rats and mice. [PLoS One. 2012]
Low-dose Cd induces hepatic gene hypermethylation, along with the persistent reduction of cell death and increase of cell proliferation in rats and mice.
Wang B, Li Y, Tan Y, Miao X, Liu XD, Shao C, Yang XH, Turdi S, Ma LJ, Ren J, et al. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3):e33853. Epub 2012 Mar 23.
Analysis of hypermethylation and expression profiles of APC and ATM genes in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. [Clin Epigenetics. 2011]
Analysis of hypermethylation and expression profiles of APC and ATM genes in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Rigi-Ladiz MA, Kordi-Tamandani DM, Torkamanzehi A. Clin Epigenetics. 2011 Nov 1; 3:6. Epub 2011 Nov 1.
Epigenomics of ovarian cancer and its chemoprevention. [Front Genet. 2011]
Epigenomics of ovarian cancer and its chemoprevention.
Chen H, Hardy TM, Tollefsbol TO. Front Genet. 2011; 2:67. Epub 2011 Oct 4.

See all...

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.
Cited in Books
NCBI Bookshelf books that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

The epigenetic progenitor origin of human cancer.
The epigenetic progenitor origin of human cancer.
Nat Rev Genet. 2006 Jan ;7(1):21-33.

PubMed
Immune cell migration in inflammation: present and future therapeutic targets.
Immune cell migration in inflammation: present and future therapeutic targets.
Nat Immunol. 2005 Dec ;6(12):1182-90.

PubMed
The prevention and treatment of osteoporosis: a review.
The prevention and treatment of osteoporosis: a review.
MedGenMed. 2005 May 11 ;7(2):73.

PubMed
The efficacy of mupirocin ointment and chlorhexidine body scrubs in the eradicat...
The efficacy of mupirocin ointment and chlorhexidine body scrubs in the eradication of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis.
Am J Infect Control. 1992 Jun ;20(3):138-41.

PubMed
Expert commentary--bloating, distension, and the irritable bowel syndrome.
Expert commentary--bloating, distension, and the irritable bowel syndrome.
MedGenMed. 2005 Jan 10 ;7(1):18.

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to:

The epigenetic progenitor origin of human cancer.

Source

Abstract

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances, Grant Support

Publication Types

MeSH Terms

Substances

Grant Support

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Cited by over 100 PubMed Central articles

Related information

Recent activity

Simple NCBI Directory

Getting Started

Resources

Popular

Featured

NCBI Information